Electric lamp with balloon dome

ABSTRACT

An electric lamp has a dome in the form of a large inflated balloon containing an electric light bulb and a portion of the socket therefor. The socket is mounted on a heavy metal cup upon which the neck of the balloon dome is mounted with an air-tight seal. In assembling the lamp, the metal cup is located within a hollow cylindrical base, the weight of the cup being sufficient to maintain the balloon dome seated firmly on the base.

United States Patent Kleinman et al.

[ Sept. 17, 1974 ELECTRIC LAMP WITH BALLOON DOME Inventors: Leonard Kleinman, PO. 163

Bergen, Brooklyn, NY. 11217; Harry Zelenko, PO. 240 E. 61st. St., New York, NY. 10021 Filed: May 30, 1973 Appl. No.: 365,170

US. Cl 240/10 C lint. C1. F2lp l/02 Field of Search 240/10 C; 46/87, 88, 90

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1945 Jacobs 240/10 X 7/1965 Schuff 240/10 X Primary ExaminerSamuel S. Matthews Assistant ExaminerMichael L. Gellner Attorney, Agent, or FirmEdward F. Levy [5 7 ABSTRACT An electric lamp has a dome in the form of alarge inflated balloon containing an electric light bulb and a portion of the socket therefor. The socket is mounted on a heavy metal cup upon which the neck of the balloon dome ,is mounted with an air-tight seal. In assembling the lamp, the metal cup is located within a hollow cylindrical base, the weight of the cup being sufficient to maintain the balloon dome seated firmly on the base.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDSEPITIQH 3.836.761

SHEET 1 0F 2 FIG.I

ELECTRIC LAMP WITH BALLOON DOME The present invention relates to improvements in electric lamps and in particular relates to a lamp having a dome in the form of an inflated balloon.

Conventional lamps are often provided with translucent or frosted domes containing the electric bulb, such domes being ordinarily made of glass or plastic. These lamps are relatively expensive to manufacture, and the domes are heavy and subject to breakage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a lamp having a dome in the form of an inflated balloon which dome is of considerably large size relative to the base of the lamp, but it is of light weight.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a lamp of the character described which is economical in manufacture and in which balloon domes may be provided in a variety of colors and surface decorations for replacement to match changes in decor.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a lamp of the character described in which the base is in the form of a hollow can sized to receive the socket assembly and the balloon dome in deflated, folded condition, and to act as a container therefor, for shipping and storing the disassembled lamp.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided an electric lamp comprising a hollow base having an open top, a socket assembly including a socket adapted to receive an electric light bulb, and a weighted portion located beneath said socket, a balloon dome comprising an inflatable balloon having a neck portion of sufficient size to receive said lamp socket and inserted bulb therethrough, with the neck portion mounted on a portion of the socket assembly to provide an air-tight seal therewith. Means-are also provided to inflate said balloon to a fully inflated condition with the bulb and at least a portion of the socket located therein. The weighted portion of the socket assembly is sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the combined weight of the inflated balloon dome, socket, and bulb so as to maintain the dome in a mounted position on the base, in which the balloon dome rests upon the top of said base and the weighted portion is located within the interior of the base.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a lamp mode in accordance with the present invention and shown in assembled condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the can which serves as the lamp base, the canbeing shownin closed condition and serving as a container for the lamp parts which are packaged therein;

FIG. 3 is an enlargedsection taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along line 4 4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken along line 5 5 of FIG. 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 3, there is shown an electric lamp made in accordance with the present invention and comprising a base 12, a balloondome 14, andasocket assembly 16 located within the balloon dome 14.

The base 12 is preferably made in the form of a metal can of cylindrical shape, having a bottom wall 18, a circular side wall 20 formed integrally therewith, and an open top end. The opentop end may be closed by a circular metal lid 22 (FIGS. 2 and 5 which fits frictionally therein to provide a closed container for packing and storing the lamp parts, as will be presently explained in detail. The outer surface of the side wall 20 may be suitably decorated to augment to aesthetic appearance of the assembled lamp.

The socket assembly 16 includes a heavy metal cup 24 of cylindrical shape having a planar side wall 26, formed integrally with an end wall 28 and with an outwardly projecting peripheral flange 30 at its other end, the flange 30 bordering the open end of cup 24. The end wall 28 is formed with a central threaded opening 32 sized to receive an externally threaded metal tube 34 of cylindrical shape, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The portion of the mounted tube 34 located outside the cup 24 receives an internally threaded metal ring 36 formed integrally with an angularly bent leg 38 which serves as a bracket for mounting a lamp socket 40. The leg or bracket 38 is secured to the socket 40 by a rivet 42 or similar means of attachment. A nut 44 is threaded upon the portion of the mounted tube 34 located within the interior of the cup 24, and is turned tightly against the inner surface of end wall 28 to complete the rigid mounting of the socket 40 and its bracket 38 upon the cup 24.

The socket 40 is of the usual and well-known construction, and its inner parts are therefore not shown or described indetail. Thesocket 40 contains the conventional threaded metal shell contact adapted to receive the threaded base of a conventional electric incandescent bulb 46 (FIG. 3). An insulated lead wire 48, connected to the internal terminals of the socket 40 in the usual manner, extends from the socket through the tube 34 and through the interior of the cup 24. The wire 48 is sealed within the interior of the tube 34 and the tube 34 is also sealed to the cup wall 28 so that an air tight seal is provided about the central opening 32, preventing the passage of air therethrough when the balloon dome is inflated.

The balloon dome 14 is a rubber or flexible plastic balloon having a spherical shape when inflated. The diameter of the inflated balloon is preferably at least twice as large as the height of base 12, as shown in FIG. 1. The balloon dome 14 has a relatively large neck 14a which is of sufficient size to receive therethrough the socket 40 and bulb 46, when the balloon dome is mounted on cup 24, in the manner described hereinafter. The balloon may be colored or provided with selected surface decoration.

The end wall 28 of cup 24 is also formed with an offset threaded opening 50in which. is mounted an externally threaded, rigid air inlet tube 52 which makes an air-tight seal with the cup wall 28. A portion-of the tube 52 projects within the interior of the cup 24, andto this portion is connected a long flexible tube 54 whichmay be made of a flexibleplastic.

In assembling the lamp, the neck 14a of the deflated balloon dome 14 is stretched and inserted over the cup 24 with the latter disposed in inverted position, in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The neck l4ais drawn down overthe surface of the cup 24 untilits end engages or is close to the flange 30 andwprovides a.tight;-air tight fitover the cup. Cementor other sealing means maybe plished by simply inserting the cup 24 centrally within the top open end of the base 12. Prior to such insertion, the lead wire 48 is drawn through an aperture 58in the base side wall 20 adjacent the bottom wall 18, the lead wire terminating in the usual plug (not shown) for attachment to an electrical outlet.

In the mounted position of the lamp portion upon the base 12, the inflated balloon dome 14 rests upon the top edge of the hollow base with the socket 40 and bulb 46 in uprightposition, as shown in FIG. 3. Since the cup 24 is made of thick metal which is considerably heavier than the combined weights of the socket, bulb, and inflated balloon dome, it serves as anchoring means to maintain the balloon dome 14 firmly seated in its mounted position upon the base 12. The weighted cup also lends stability to the hollow base 12 and prevents the lamp from tipping over in normal use.

When the balloon dome 14 is fully inflated, its resilient wall stretches and becomes translucent so that when the bulb 46 is lighted, it provides a pleasing source of illumination which is distributed over and through the entire wall of the balloon dome, with a uniform glow.

FIGS. 2 and illustrate the manner in which the entire lamp assembly may be initially packed for shipping and storage as a self-contained package. The cup 24 and attached socket 40 are rested upon the bottom wall 18 of the can constituting base 12, and the deflated balloon dome 14 is folded up and inserted in the can on top of the cup and socket. The lid 22 is then applied and fictionally held within the top open end of the can.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has- 1. An electric lamp comprising a hollow base having an open top, a socket assembly including a socket adapted to receive an electric light bulb, and a weighted portion located beneath said socket, a balloon dome comprising an inflatable balloon having an elongated neck portion of sufficient size to receive said lamp socket and inserted bulb therethrough, with said neck portion stretched about a portion of said socket assembly and making an air-tight seal therewith, and means in said socket assembly for inflating said balloon dome to fully inflated condition with said bulb and at least a portion of said socket located within the interior of said balloon, the inflated balloon dome having a mounted position on said base in which it rests loosely upon the open top of said base and said weighted portion of the socket assembly is suspended within the interior of said base, said weighted portion being sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the combined weight of said inflated balloon dome, socket and bulb, thereby maintaining the balloon dome firmly seated in its mounted position and preventing the lamp from tipping over.

2. An electric lamp according to claim 1 in which the weighted portion of said socket assembly comprises an inverted cup of heavy metal.

3. An electric lamp according to claim 2 in which said cup has an end wall, said inflating means comprising air inlet tube extending through said end wall and into the interior of said cup.

4. An electric lamp according to claim 3 in which the neck portion of said balloon dome is mounted on said cup with said air inlet tube communicating with the interior of the balloon dome for inflation thereof.

5. An electric lamp according to claim 4 which also includes a threaded tube extending centrally through the end wall of said cup, and a bracket connecting said socket to said threaded tube.

6. An electric lamp according to claim 1 in which said balloon dome in inflated condition is spherical and of a diameter at least twice as large as the height of said base.

7. An electric lamp according to claim 3 in which said base is a hollow can of sufficient size to receive therein the deflated balloon and socket assembly and serve as a container therefor. 

1. An electric lamp comprising a hollow base having an open top, a socket assembly including a socket adapted to receive an electric light bulb, and a weighted portion located beneath said socket, a balloon dome comprising an inflatable balloon having an elongated neck portion of sufficient size to receive said lamp socket and inserted bulb therethrough, with said neck portion stretched about a portion of said socket assembly and making an air-tight seal therewith, and means in said socket assembly for inflating said balloon dome to fully inflated condition with said bulb and at least a portion of said socket located within the interior of said balloon, the inflated balloon dome having a mounted position on said base in which it rests loosely upon the open top of said base and said weighted portion of the socket assembly is suspended within the interior of said base, said weighted portion being sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the combined weight of said inflated balloon dome, socket and bulb, thereby maintaining the balloon dome firmly seated in its mounted position and preventing the lamp from tipping over.
 2. An electric lamp according to claim 1 in which the weighted portion of said socket assembly comprises an inverted cup of heavy metal.
 3. An electric lamp according to claim 2 in which said cup has an end wall, said inflating means comprising air inlet tube extending through said end wall and into the interior of said cup.
 4. An electric lamp according to claim 3 in which the neck portion of said balloon dome is mounted on said cup with said air inlet tube communicating with the interior of the balloon dome for inflation thereof.
 5. An electric lamp according to claim 4 which also includes a threaded tube extending centrally through the end wall of said cup, and a bracket connecting said socket to said threaded tube.
 6. An electric lamp according to claim 1 in which said balloon dome in inflated condition is spherical and of a diameter at least twice as large as the height of said base.
 7. An electric lamp according to claim 3 in which said base is a hollow can of sufficient size to receive therein the deflated balloon and socket assembly and serve as a container therefor. 